World watch

World watch

July 26, 2009|By Larry Habegger

Belgium

Authorities warned of thieves posing as police officers on the E411 highway linking Luxembourg and Brussels. Three elderly couples who withdrew money from banks in Luxembourg recently were robbed of about $141,000 in euros. The bandits pulled over the cars and told the drivers to follow them off the highway, then took the victims' money.

France

Major cities and about 500 other tourist areas soon might see shops given the choice to open on Sundays. Many businesses, such as grocers, markets, furniture stores and certain shops in major tourist neighborhoods, are exempt from a 1906 law that established Sunday as a mandatory day off for workers, but throughout France most shops close on that day. France's lower legislative house recently passed legislation that would permit many shops in Paris, Lille, Marseille and other tourist areas to open on Sundays. Unions oppose the law, concerned that it will erode leisure and family time, but the legislation would allow workers to decline Sunday hours or to receive overtime pay.

Germany

A cracked wheel that caused a train derailment in May continues to disrupt service in the Berlin area. Railway authorities removed from the system all trains whose wheels need inspection, meaning full service might not be restored until December. Trains have been overcrowded, and some service has been curtailed. Until early August, there will be no service between Berlin's Ostbahnhof and Zoo stations, two major hubs.

Indonesia

Two suicide bombers detonated explosives in two Jakarta hotels popular with foreigners July 17. The bombings killed nine people, including the attackers, at the J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton. The attacks were the first in Indonesia in four years and are a reminder that terrorism remains a threat, despite the government's success in apprehending and prosecuting terrorists in past attacks. The attacks also confirm that Westerners remain the targets.

Italy

About 100 vigilante "citizen patrols" affiliated with political groups have formed in various cities across Italy. Since July 8 they have received the sanction of the national government, which legalized such organizations as part of an anti-crime bill. Some, including the Italian National Guard, espouse far-right ideology, while others lean far left, and still more are benign, such as a group of seniors supervising streets outside schools.

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Compiled from various news services and travel sources. For the latest on world conditions, check the State Department's automated service at 888-407-4747; fax, 202-647-3000; travel.state.gov.